Shuttle changing mechanism



March 22, 1932.. v. LINDSJO SHUTTLE CHANGING MECHANISM Filed March is, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR %nw- 7 BY I I M ATTORNEY v. L|NDSJO 1,850,304

I SHUTTLE CHANGING MECHANISM March 22, 1932.

Filed March 18, 1931 4 Shets-Sheet 2.

25 1 1332 39 f% 5 INVENTOR 15 I I 7/5, $41617}, I

' 16/ J BY 1'24 .37 I ATTORNEY March 22, 1932. v LINDSJQ I I 1,850,304

SHUTTLE CHANGING MECHANI SM Filed March 18, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR .YW

ATTORN EY' March 22, 1932. v UNDSJQ 1,850,304

SHUTTLE CHANGING MECHANISM Filed March 18. 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IINVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Mar. 22, 1932.

* UNITED STATES PATENT oF-FicEf VERNER LINDSJ'O, OF IHOPEDALE;MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOBXTO DRAI'ER CORPORA- TION; OF HOPEDALE; MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE i SHUTTLE CHANGING MECHANISM Application filed March 18, 1931. Serial No. 523,455.

This invention relates to shuttle changing mechanism for automatic looms whereby a full shuttle is inserted in a shuttle box and e. the spent shuttle is ejected therefrom without stopping the loom.

Shuttle changing mechanism for looms has beenproposed heretofore and in some of the prior constructions mechanism hasbeenlprovided for automatically stopping the weaving operation during the shuttle transfer, while in other constructions the shuttle trans-V fer has been effected duringthe loom operation, but in most of these prior constructions a number of rotating cams and other more or less complicated mechanism has been em ployed to effect the shuttle transfer.

The present invention contemplates an ex tremely simple construction adapted to utilize the lay movement to effect the shuttle gortransfer while the loom is operating at high speed.

In carrying out the shuttle box at the transfer side of the loom q is provided with a front box plate that is movable to admit the incoming shuttle and a rear box plate that is movable to clear the out going shuttle, and the shuttle: transfer is effected by forcing a full shuttle into the shuttle box at the front of the lay so that this full shuttle will eject the spent'shuttle at the rear of the lay. In this manner an extremel simple and rapid shuttletransfer is secure The movable box plates are preferably held in their lowered or normal position by a relatively strong spring or'springs, and it is desirable to utilize the movement of the full shuttle transversely of the lay to displace the front box plate so that the shuttle may pass, beneath this plate into the. shuttle box, but 40 if the front plate is acted upon by its depressing spring at the time it isengaged by the full shuttle the plate will behard to lift and the shuttle may be damaged by its engagement therewith. 1

. One important'feature of the invention therefore resides in means for relieving the front box plate fromthe action of its de-L pressing spring before this plate is engaged" by the full shuttle being thrust laterally into the shuttle box, and as a resultthe front'box present invention the Another important feature ofthe invention 7 resides in the constructionfwhereby the means for holding the rear box plate in its lowered or normal position serves also to hold the front box plate depressed, and as a result the downward pressure upon the front plate is relieved by raising the rear plate. This con struction permits relative movement of the box plates and also constitutes a simple construction for relieving the pressure upon the front plate when shuttle transfer is called.

A further feature of the invention resides in novel means for supporting the box plates for movement towardand from the lay, and in accordance with the present invention the front box plate is pivotally supported at the. rear of the layand'the rear box plate is pivtion resides in stop means that are mounted for movement away from the ejected shuttle,

operating position,

Still another feature of the invention resides in means for operating the shuttle transfer mechanismfrom the lay movement.

Other features of the invention and novel combination of parts in addition to the above will be hereinafter described in connection as the box plates are loweredto their normal with the accompanying drawings which illus; trate one good practical form of the inven-.

tion.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the shuttle transfer side of a loom constructed in ac,- cordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the shuttle changing mechanismof Fig.1;

Fig 3 is a transverse sectional View taken The shuttle changing mechanism of the;

present invention may be employed upon various types of automatic looms and it has therefore been deemed necessary to show in the drawings only the shuttle transfer side of the loom and the portions associated therewith, since the other parts of the loom may operate in the usual or any preferred manher. 1

Referring to the drawings the operative parts of the loom may be supported by the frame 1 of the usual or any suitable construction and the loom is provided with a lay 2 supported b the swords 3 for movement towards and from the front of the loom 111 a well known manner. The lay 2 is shown as having the usual reed 4 and the usual reed cap or hand rail 5.

In the embodiment of the invention shown the full shuttles are supplied to the shuttle transfer mechanism by the shuttle magazine 6 which is supp'ortedslightlyin front of the forward position of the lay as will be apparent from Fig. t of the drawings. The shuttle magazine 6 is conveniently supported from the loom frame 1 by the upwardly ex tending brackets 7 and 8, and in order that the shuttle magazine may be adjusted to the properposition the adjusting links 9 are preferably provided between the upper ends of the brackets '7 and 8 and the ma azine su aporting bar 10. The magazine 6is open at its upper and lower ends as shown so that the full shuttles 11 may be placed in the upper end of the magazine, one above the other, as shown, and the lowermost shuttle normally rests upon the supporting fingers or brackets 12 disposed in spaced relation to the lower end of the magazine 6. The arrangement is such that the lowermost shuttle may be moved laterally by means to be described along the fingers 12 onto the lay when the latter is in its forward position of Fig. 4.

The shuttle box at the shuttle changing side of the loom is provided with the upper plate 13 which is supported in spaced relation to the plate 14: that constitutes the shuttle runway, and in accordance with the present in? vention the front box plate 15 and the rear box plate 16 are mounted for movementup wardly from the lay sufficiently to permit'the shuttle transfer beneath these plates.

In accordance with the present invention the front box plate is pivotally supported at the rear of the lay and the rear box plate is rocking movement by the arms 20 and 21.

The arm 20 is, secured bythe bolts 22 to the upper end of the lever 23 having the downwardly extending tail portion 24 and this lever is pivotally supported by the stub shaft 25 which is journaled in the bracket 26 se cured to the front of the lay and extending upwardly therefrom. The plate supporting arm 21 is pivotally connected by the stub shaft 27 to a bracket 28 mounted at the front of the lay and extending upwardly therefrom.

In accordance with the present invention the rear box plate is continuously urged downwardly to its normal or lower position in Which it is shown in Fig. 3 by a spring or springs and the downward pressure exerted upon this rear box plate is utilized to hold the front box plate in its lower or normal position; The mechanism provided to this end in the construction shown consists of a coiled spring 29 mounted upon the stub shaft 25 and which acts continuously upon the rocking lever 23 in a direction to move the rear box plate 16 downwardly from the position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. i to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3. The front box plate 15 is normally held in its lower position by providing the arm 20 which rockingly supports the rear box plate 16 with a downwardly extending projection such as the adjustable bolt 30 adapted to engage a portion of the front box plate 15, such for example as the part 31 which is secured to the front box plateand extends rearwardly therefrom beneath the lower end of the bolt 30. The arrangement is such that as long as the rear box plate is in its lower position the front box plate will be held in its lower position by the pressure of the bolt 30 upon the portion 31 carried by the front box plate. When the rear box plate is rocked upwardly the bolt 30 will be disengaged from the portion 31 of the front box plate whereupon the front box plate will be held depressed merely by its own weight and will be readily lifted by the incomingshuttle in a manner to be described."

The downward movement of the front box plate-15 may be arrested by any suitable means and this is accomplished in the constructionshown by providing each of the arms 17 with an adjustable stop bolt 32 adapted to rest against the upper plate 13'of the shuttle box.

The rear box plate 16 is preferably provided with a binder 33 which is yieldingly forced inwardly by the spring 34 to frictionally engage 'a shuttle in a well known manner.

As above pointed out the shuttle changing mechanism'of the present invention is so constructed that the shuttle transfer may be effected at high speed without interrupting the normal weaving operatiomand in the. pres ent construction the shuttle transfertakes place while the lay is in its forward position. The construction and'operation of the shuttle box and parts associated therewithfor effecting shuttle transfer must be such that, the shuttle will not be injured as itis quickly forced transversely of the lay intothe shuttle box. Iii-accordance with the present invention the movement of the full shuttle against the front box plate15 is utilized to force this plate upwardly away from the lay sufiiciently to clear the shuttle, and'the front plate '15 1s therefore provided withtheinclined lower face 35 adapted to be engaged and forced up.- wardly by the incoming shuttle.

As' above stated it is important that the front box plate .15 be relieved from the action of its depressing spring before this plate is engaged by the incoming shuttle so that the plate 15 may readily be forced upwardly by the movement of the full shuttle into the shuttle box. This is accomplished in accordance with the present invention by providing a lever actuator 36, operable when filling replenishment is called, by the lay movement in a manner to be described. This actuator is adapted to engage thev downwardly extending portion 24 of the lever 23 to force this lever from the dotted line position of Fig.4to the full line position'thereof. 'TlllS serves to positivelylift the rear'box plate 16 to the position in which'it is shown in full lines in Fig. 4, whereupon the pressure upon the from box plate 15 is relieved, as above pointed out, andthe front box plate is therefore free at this time to rise readily when engaged by the incoming shuttle. As a resultof this construction the incoming shuttle may be shoved rapidly against the inclined-face 35 of the front box plate without inJuring the shuttle. i y

In accordance with the present invention the spent or out-going shuttle 37 is shoved rearwardly out of the shuttle box by the incoming shuttle as will be apparent from Fig. 4, and it is desirable to stop the rearward movement of the shuttle 37 in-the position in which it is shown in full lines inJFig. 4 so that this shuttle will arrest the movement of the incoming shuttle transversely of the lay in the proper position'in the shuttle box. After the outgoing shuttle 37 has arrested the movement of the incoming shuttlell 'tra'nsversely of the lay the former shuttle should be released so that it may drop against theguard 38 supported below the lay and which position as will be apparent from Fig. 4, and A the downward movement of the front box plate to its normal position serves to move the stops 39 rearwardly slightly as will be apparent from Fig. 3. This serves to release the spent shuttle 37so that it may drop and the downward movement of this shuttle may be'speeded up by the same being struck by'thedownward movement of the rear box plate 16. 1

Any well known or suitable means, not shown, may be employed to detect the cond1- tion of the filling in the shuttle and to call for replenishment when substantial exhaustion of filling in the shuttle is found. Such filling feeling mechanism operates in a well known manner to impart rocking movement to the transverse or rock shaft 40 when substantial exhaustion of filling is detected. The rocking. movement of the rock shaft 40 is utilized in accordance with the present inven tion to cause the forward movement of the layto operate the slide 41 to'transfer a full shuttle 11 from the bottom of the hopper 6 to the shuttle box. The slide 41 in the construction shown is slidalbly mounted in the housing 42 which is'secured to and extends frontward from the hopper 6. I

The slide 41 normally occupies the position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 5 and when shuttle transfer is called the slide issuddenly moved rearwardly against the lowermost shuttle resting upon the fingers 12 to force this shuttlebeneath the front box plate and into the shuttle box, and the abutment of the incoming shuttle 11 against the spent shuttle 37 serves to eject the latter, as will be apparent from Fig. 4.

Operative movement is imparted to the slide 41 by the lever 43 which is rigidly secured to and extends upwardly from the horizontally extending shaft 44, and the, upper end of the lever 43 is connected to the slide end with a shoulder 48 adapted to be engaged by the bunter 49 carried by the lay; sword 3, when the finger, 47 is held in the elevated position'in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 4. The engagement of the bunter 49 with the finger 47 serves to thrust this finger frontwardly from the position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 5 to the position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 4. This serves to rock the shaft 44 and move the slide 41 rearwardly to effect shuttle transfer.

Movement of the slide 41 frontwardly to its normal inactive position is effected, in accordance with the present invention, by providing the finger 47 with the hook 50 adapted to be engaged by a latch 51 as the lay moves rearwardly and the finger 47 is lowered to the dotted line position in which it is shown in Fig. 4. The latch 51 is preferably pivotally secured to a supporting bracket 52 upon the lay sword and is normally held by the spring 53 with the extension 54 upon the latch resting against a stop 55 carried by the bracket 52. The arrangement of this latch is such that it may rock downwardly to pass under the outer end portion of the finger 47 without forcing the finger upwardly.

As above stated the rear box plate is ele" 'vated by the engagement of the lever actuator 36 with the tail portion 24 of the lever 23, this being effected before the incoming shuttle engages the front box plate 15. The lever actuator 36, in the construction shown, is secured to the horizontally extending roclc ing shaft 44. The arrangement is such that as long as the slide 41 is in its frontward position the lever actuator 86 is elevated, as shown in Fig. 5, out of engagement with the tail 24 of the lever 23. When the shaft 44 is rocked in a direction to effect shuttle transfer the lever actuator 36 wipes downwardly against the tail 24 to shift this tail from the dotted line position to the full line position and continues its downward movement to a position beyond the lower end of the tail 24, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the box plates may move downwardly immediately to the dotted line position of Fig. 4 and finally move downwardly into their normal 'positlon of Fig. 3

as the lay moves rearwardly away from the slide 41.

The rocking movement of the rock shaft 40 is utilized to lift the finger 47 into the path of the bunter49 and this is accomplished by providing the shaft 40 with a rearwardly extending arm 56 having pivotally secured thereto at 57 the rearwardly extending lever 58. This lever has a tail portion 59 which normally rests against a stop 60 provided Y hold the tail portion against the stop 60 but permits the lever 58 to rock downwardly relative to the arm 56 to relieve the parts from strain. The outer end of the lever 58 is connected to the finger 47 by the link 65.

The construction and operation of the parts just described for utilizing the lay movement to move the slide 41 back and forth such that a delay action occurs between the movement of the slide 41 rearwardly by the hunter 49 and the shifting of the slide 41 frontwardly by the engagement of the shoulder 50 of the finger 47 with the latch 51 carried by the lay sword. This is due to the fact that the finger 47 is'so constructed that when it is permitted to move downwardly to its dotted line position of Fig. 4, after having been thrust frontwardly by the hunter 49, its shoulder 50 will fail to engage the latch 51, which is at this time rearward of the shoulder, and as a result the finger 47 will not be pulled rearwardly upon this particular rearward movement of the lay but the finger 47 will be engaged and pulled rearwardly u pon the next rearward movement of the lay.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the various parts above described for efiecting shuttle transfer are operated by rocking the horizontally extending shaft 44 and that the desired rocking movements are imparted to this sh aft from the lay by shifting the finger 47 which is under the control of the transverse rock shaft 40. It will also be seen that the entire construction is such that the shut tle transfer is effected at high speed without interrupting the weaving operation or injuring the shuttle or other parts of the loom.

One of the particular features of the invention consists in mounting the rear box plate on arms pivoted at the front of the lay and separately mounting the front box plate on arms pivoted at the front of the lay, and a spring acting only on the rear box plate, so that when the rear box plate is swung upwardly by lay movement on call for shuttle change, the front box plate is entirely freed so that it may be raised by the incoming shuttle without injury to the latter and while the loom continues to operate at speed.

Vhat is claimed is 1. In an automatic loom, shuttle changing mechanism, comprising in combination, a lay, a shuttle box having a front box plate pivotally supported at the rear of the lay, and a rear box plate pivotally supported at the front of the lay.

2. In an automatic loom, shuttle changing mechanism, comprising in combination, a lay, a shuttle box having a front box plate pivotally support-ed at the rear of the lay for rising movement relative to the lay, and a rear box plate pivotally supported at the front of the lay for rising movement relative to the lay.

3. In an automatic loom, shuttle changing permit a shuttle to pass between the lay and mechanism, comprising in combination, a lay,

otally supported at. the rear. of the lay, a rear box plate pivotally supported at the front of the lay, and eachbox plate supported for .movement away from the lay sufiiciently to permit a shuttle to pass between the lay and either box plate.

4. In an automatic loom, shuttle changing mechanism, comprising in combination, a lay, a shuttle box having a front box plate and a rear box plate 7 supported for movement independently of each other and adapted for movementaway from the lay sufficiently to either box plate, and means movable with one box plate and operable to hold the other box plate in its normal operative position.

5; In an automatic loom, shuttle changing mechanism, comprising in combination, a lay, a shuttle box having a pivotally mounted front box plate, pivotally mounted rear box plate movable independently of the front box plate, and means movable with one box plate and operable to hold the other box plate in its normal operative position.

6. In an automatic loom, shuttle changing mechanism, comprising in combination, a lay, a shuttle box having a front box plate pivotally supported at the rear of the lay, a rear box plate pivotally supported at the front of the lay, and means movable with one box plate and operable to hold the other box plate in its normal operative position.

7'. In an automatic loom, shuttle changing mechanism, comprising in combination, a lay, a shuttle box having a front box plate pivotally supported at the rear of the lay,a rear box plate pivotally supported'at thefront of the lay, means connected to the rear box plate and operable to hold the front box plate in its normal operative position, and means for freeing the front box plate from the action of said holding means during the shuttle changing operation.

8. In an automatic loom, shuttle changing mechanism, comprising in combination, a lay, a shuttle box having a front box plate and a rear box plate each independently supported for rising movement relative to the lay, spring means for normally holding the rear box plate in its lowered position, means carried by the rear box plate for normally holding the front box plate 1n'1ts lowered position,

"" and means for freeing the front box plate from the action of said holding means during the shuttle changing operation.

9. In an automatic loom, shuttle changing mechanism, comprising incombination, a lay,

" a shuttle box having a front box plate adapted to be raised bya shuttle moved laterally of the lay into the box, an independently mounted rear box plate supported for rising movement relative to the lay, means for forcing a full shuttle into the shuttle box and for ejecting the spent shuttle, spring means for normally holding the front box platein its lowered position, and power actuated means forr'elieving the front box plate from the holding action of the spring before this box' plate' is lifted bythe laterally inserted shuttle; I I

'10. In an automatic'loom, shuttle changing mechanisnn'comprising in combination, 3. lay, a shuttle box having "a frontbox plate adapted to be raised by a'shuttle moved lat erally of the lay into the box, a'rear box plate supported for rising movement relativeto the lay, means for forcinga full shuttle into the box and for-ejecting the spent shuttle, means for normally holding the 'rear box plate in its lowered position, means carried-by the rear'box plate for holding the front box plate in its lowered position, and power actuated; means for raising the" rear box plate-upon call for replenishment and adapted to relieve the front box plate from the action of said holding means.

11. In an automatic loom, shuttle changing mechanism, comprising in combination, a lay, a shuttle box having afront box plate pivotallysupported at'th'e rear of the lay and adapted to be raised by a shuttle moved laterally of the lay into the box, afrear box plate pivotally supportedat the front of the lay'and adapted to be raised to permit the discharge of the spent shuttle, means for forcing a full shuttle into the shuttle box and for ejecting the'spent' shuttle, spring means for normally holding the rear box platein its lowered position, means carried by" the rear. box-plate for normally holding the front box plate in its lowered position, and power actuated means for raisingthe rearbox plate' upon call for replenishment andadaptedto, relieve the front box platefrom the action of said holding means. V

12. In an automatic loom, shuttle chang: ing mechanism, comprising in combination, a lay, a shuttle box having a 'movable rear box plate and a front 'box plate pivotally mounted at the rear of the'lav for upward rocking movement. means for forcing a shuttle transversely of the lay into the shuttle box and for ejecting the spent shuttle at the rear of the lay, andlaistop carried by the mounting for the frontboxplate and adapted to beshifted by the upward rocking move ment of the front box plate into position to arrest the movement of the ejected shuttle.

13. In an automatic loom, shuttle changingmechanism, comprising in combination, a lay, a shuttle box having front and rear box plates mounted for movement relative to the lay, means for forcing a shuttle transversely of the lay into the shuttle box and forejecting the spent shuttle at the rear of the lay, a stop for arresting the movement of the ejected shuttle, and means for movingrthe stop away from the ejected shuttle after arresting the shuttle movement.

14:. In an automatic loom, shuttle changing mechanism, comprising in combination, a lay, a shuttle box havlng front and rear box plates mounted for movement away from the lay, a stop at the rear of the lay, a slide operable to force a full shuttle transversely of the lay and against the spent shuttle to move the latter rearwardly against said stop, and means for shifting said stop rearwardly away from the ejected shuttle.

15. In an automatic loom, shuttle changing mechanism, comprising in combination, a lay, a shuttle box having movable front and rear box plates, a stop at the rear of the lay, means for moving a full shuttle transversely of the lay against the spent shuttle to move the latter rearwardly out of the shuttle box against said stop, and a connection between said stop and one of the box plates and adapted to movethe stop out of engagement with the spent shuttle as the plate to which it is connectedis moved to its normal operating position.

16. In an automatic loom, shuttle changing mechanism, comprising in combination, a lay, a shuttle box having movable front and rear box plates, a slide for moving a full shuttle laterally into the shuttle box and for ejecting the spent shuttle therefrom, a lever for reciprocating said slide, a finger for rocking said lever, a rock shaft for positioning said finger upon call for shuttle replenishment, means carried by the lay for thrusting the positioned finger frontwardly, and a" hook upon said finger and engageable with means upon the lay 'to pull the finger rear wardly. v

17. In an automatic loom, shuttle chang ingmechanism, comprising in combination, a lay, a shuttle box having movable front and rear box plates, a slide for moving a full shuttlelaterally into the shuttle box and for ejecting the spent shuttle therefrom, a lever for reciprocating said slide, an abutment and a latch-V carried by the lay, a finger for rocking said lever, a rock shaft for positioning said finger in the path of said abutment upon call for shuttle replenishment to be shifted frontwardly by the lay movement, and a hook upon said finger adapted to be engaged and pulled rearwardly by said latch.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

VERNER LINDsJo, 

